Myanmar yesterday pardoned dozens of political prisoners, activists said, a day after the European Union agreed to end almost all sanctions against the former pariah state. At least 59 political prisoners were included in the latest amnesty, Bo Kyi of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) said.

More than four years after he was freed by the junta, Myanmar's longest-serving political prisoner has been ordered to return the uniform he was wearing on the day of his release. Veteran democracy activist Win Tin, 83, who spent almost two decades in jail for his political activities, said that he no longer had the blue shirt and sarong-like longyi, and was refusing to repay the cost of about US$2.

Joseph bought his US$50 Chinese Huawei cellphone and a SIM card from a government-run telecom operator two months ago. The SIM card cost him another US$250, compared with just paying a monthly fee for the service in Hong Kong.

Myanmese leader Thein Sein said he would accept democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi as president if elected, but could not alone amend the rules that bar her from power.

The former general paid rare tribute to the Nobel laureate during a landmark tour of the United States, where he insisted his country would continue its strides towards democracy after decades of army rule.

One of the more discreet elements of Myanmar's transformation is the enduring role of the National Endowment for Democracy, the US taxpayer-funded body that for years has bankrolled and fostered human rights efforts, non-violent resistance movements and media activism inside the country.